David S. Sobel MDBy definition, "crisis" means that one's life is out of control. When faced with a health crisis, many people experience the information they receive about their condition -- and the way they receive it -- as making their feelings of being out of...
A study on aging found that for men the frequency of sexual intercourse was associated with lower death rates. For women the enjoyment of intercourse was associated with longer life. In "Sex May Prolong Life" David S. Sobel, M.D. shows us studies...
In spite of a growing body of research over the last decade documenting the economic burden of depression on individuals and on society, efforts to curb skyrocketing medical costs usually start with cuts in mental health services and benefits...
Patients often only communicate symptoms such as pain, wheezing, swelling, itching. Physicians often remain unaware of how the symptoms impact the patient?s life. Similar symptoms may have very different importance for different patients. It is...
You may assume that "imagination" means "not real." But the thoughts, words, and images that flow from your imagination can have very real physiological consequences for your body. Your brain often cannot distinguish whether you are imagining...
The decision to seek care is more determined by anxiety, worry, stress, lack of confidence, lack of information, job dissatisfaction, and unhealthy lifestyles than it is by the presence or absence of physical disease. In "Meditation Reduces Medical...
Your decision about whether or not to have non-emergency surgery will be influenced by your expectations and understanding as well as the desires and biases of your surgeon. What patient can resist an enthusiastic surgeon? Apparently, the answer is...
Most medical care today is provided via the brief office visit - one person visits the doctor. Clearly appropriate in some circumstances, this one-to-one model often falls short of meeting patients' real needs - especially patients with multiple...
Findings from a Stanford University Medical School study may come as no surprise: older and middle-age people reported sleeping better when they added regular exercise to their routine, reports Dr. David Sobel in "Exercise Improves Sleep." After 16...
Attitude cannot cure a chronic illness. But cultivating a positive outlook and learning self-management skills can make it much easier to live with. In "Rx: How to Live Well with Chronic Disease" David S. Sobel, M.D. recommends you learn the skills...
